Draft regulator



M. w. PATRICK 2,721,705

Oct. 25, 1955 DRAFT REGULATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 15, 1954 2 INVENTOR.

Mm can 14 P4 m/cK Oct. 25, 1955 M. w. PATRICK DRAFT REGULATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 13, 1954 INVENTOR. Ma com 14 PA TRICK ATTORNEY United States PatentO DRAFT REGULATOR "MalcomW. Patrick, Macedonia, Ohio, assignor to Perfection Industries, Incorporated, a corporation of Ohio Application August 13, 1954,.Serial N 0.449649 6 Claims. (Cl; 236-45) This invention relates to 'dra'ft regulators 'of the class 'used in the flue connection "between a combustion apparatus and a chimney for automatically admitting atmospheric air to the flue in suflicient quantity to sub-'- stantially satisfy excessiveand spasmodic chimney drafts,

thereby to protect the apparatus 'from'undue disturbance of its normal draft conditions or, in other 'words, to

maintain the draft through the combustionapparatus as connected'to'the damper or valve plate in such relation thereto as to'render the resistance of'th damper 'tothe pull of the chimney draft substantially uniform throughout the range of movement of said damper; to provide a draft regulator of'the kind described that is conveniently adjustable to suit its action to the draft conditions of a particular chimney; and to provide a draft regulator of the aforesaid class that can easily and quickly be installed in flue connections of the usual kinds.-

Theseobjects, with other and more detailed ones that will appear as this description proceeds, are attained in the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein'likeparts are designated 'by like reference-characters throughout the several views.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a combustion apparatus and the adjacent part of the flue thereof in which my improved draft regulator is installed;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the regulator, drawn to a scale considerably larger than that of Fig. 1, and observed as though looking from the line 22 of the former view;

Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevational view of the regulator, showing the damper in closed position in solid lines, and in maximum open position in broken lines;

Fig. 4 is a sectional detail on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the frame of the regulator, and

Fig. 6 is an exploded perspective view including the damper carrying arm and a fragment of the damper, the counterbalancing weight, and the bolt by which the weight is connected to said arm.

The reference numeral 1 designates the lateral branch of a flue 2 that connects a combustion apparatus 3 with a chimney (not shown). Fitted within the outer end of the branch 1 is a frame 5 which is a component part of the draft regulator. This frame includes a relatively deep cylindrical flange 6 of a diameter to fit rather closely within the branch of the flue, and the outer end of said flange is curled radially outwardly and thence 2 back over the adjacent body portion of the flange to conceal the end of said branch. A narrow, plane, annular wall 8 extends radially inwardly from the inner endof the flange 6 and defines a relatively large opening '10 that is circular excepting for 'the fact that it is straight across'the top along a'chord, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5. In the wider portion of the wall 8 that is thus provided adjacent the top of the frame 5 is a slot 12. As best appears from Fig. '5, the bottom edge of the slot is inc'lined downwardly at a slight angle from the ends of the 'slot and its central region is shown as cut away to -a said wall a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the material from which the frame '5 is constructed.

The reference numeral 15 designates a damper or valve plate, and it is of asize and shape to occupy theopening 10 with its edge spaced a slight distance'from the inner edge of the wall 8. The damper ispreferably made of sheet metal, and in order to stiffen it and prevent its warping, it is formed with an annular bead 16. The

damper is carried by an arm 18 that is formed from a strap of metal to provide, adjacent one end thereof, a branch 19 that is welded or otherwise attached to the inner side of the damper adjacent the top of the latter,

and'a branch 20 that is at substantially right angles to the branch 19 and supports a counterbal'ancing weight 22. The branch 20 has a longitudinal slot 24 within which a so-called carriage *bolt 25 is held againstturning 'by reason of its square portion 26 fitting between the sides of said slot. The weight 22 has an axial bore that opens through the bottom of the weight. Said bore is enlarged at its lower end to accommodate the square portion of the bolt, and is threaded thereabove forscrew connection with the threaded end of the bolt. Thus the weight is 'adjustably connected to the arm 20. When it is desired to shift the weight, the latter is turned to loosen the bolt enough to permit the weight to be moved longitudinally of the arm, and when in the desired position, the weight is turned in the reverse direction to tighten the bolt and clamp the arm betwee the head of the bolt and'the weight. v

The arm 18 extends through the slot l2 'ofthe frame 5, and the portion of the arm midway between its ends is formed to accommodate the overhang of the frame above said slot and to provide a niche 28. The edges of the arm at the ends of said niche fulcrum on the bottom edge of the slot 12 adjacent the ends of the slot, and due to the previously described shape of said edge, the arm has a two point bearing. This insures free swinging movement of the damper, between closed position, wherein it is located by engagement with the stops 13, and full open position, indicated in broken lines in Fig. 3. The damper is arrested in its inward movement by engagement of a stop 29 with the wall 8 above the slot 12. The stop 29 desirably consists of a lug that is struck from the branch 19 of the arm 18.

I will now describe how the draft regulator is assembled, prior to installation. With the arm 18 attached to the damper 15, as by welding, the arm is projected outwardly through the slot 12 of the frame 5. The weight 22 is then connected to the arm by means of the bolt 26. This assembly may then be applied to the branch 1 of the flue by inserting the cylindrical flange 6 of the frame 5 into the outer end of said branch. The frame is adapted to be secured to the branch of the flue by two thread cutting screws 30 engaged through diametrically opposed holes in the flange 6.

When the chimney draft is at or near its minimum strength, the damper 15 reposes in closed position against the stops 13, as illustrated in full lines in Fig. 3. It will be observed that when the damper is in this position, the weight 22 is located an appreciable distance inwardly of the vertical plane of the damper. Therefore, the damper will be held in closed position until such time as the chimney draft attains a strength detrimental to the action of the combustion apparatus. When the draft has reached such strength, it will create a sub-atmospheric pressure within the flue sufiicient to cause the atmospheric pressure imposed upon the outer side of the damper to overcome the opposition of the weight 22 and swing the damper inwardly. When the angle between the damper and the vertical plane of the wall 8 increases sufiiciently, the weight will swing forrwardly of said vertical plane and thereafter exert a counterbalancing effect upon the damper and graduate the resistance of the damper according to the variable pull of the chimney draft.

It will be obvious to persons acquainted with this class of devices that my improved draft regulator may be attached to a lateral branch of any of the customary flue arrangements, as where the flue connection between the combustion apparatus and chimney is straight from end to end and is horizontally disposed; or where the fiue is inclined, or where it includes a vertical section between angularly related end portions that are joined, respectively, to the apparatus and chimney. In all of these situations, as in the one herein disclosed, the draft regulator is connected to a lateral branch of the flue, and in each case the frame should occupy a substantially vertical position, and the pivotal axis of the damper should. be horizontal. The flue arrangements above recited are so common and well known that specific illustration thereof is deemed unnecessary.

While I have disclosed my present preferred embodiment of the invention in detail, it will be understood that the invention is susceptible to such changes and modifications as come within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a draft regulator, a frame comprising a cylindrical flange and an annular wall extending radially inwardly from the inner end of said flange and defining a relatively large opening, said wall having a transverse slot above said opening, an arm extending through said slot and including a branch that depends in close proximity to said wall inwardly thereof, the arm being formed outwardly of said wall to provide a niche on its under side for engagement with the portion of said wall that defines the bottom of said slot, the arm continuing generally forwardly and upwardly and over the top of the frame and terminating in a second branch that is disposed at substantially right angles to and projects inwardly a suitable distance beyond the plane of the first mentioned branch, a damper in the form of a plate secured to the first mentioned branch of said arm and adapted to be supported thereby within the opening of said frame, and a weight carried by the second branch of the arm inwardly of the vertical plane of the damper.

2. In a draft regulator, the combination and arrangement of parts defined by claim 1, and, in addition thereto, stop means for arresting outward movement of the damper when the same is approximately within the plane of said wall of the frame.

3. In a, draft regulator, the combination and arrangement of parts defined by claim 1, and, in addition thereto, stop means for limiting the inward movement of the damper.

4. In a draft regulator, the combination and arrangement of parts defined by claim 3, and wherein said stop means consists of a lug carried by the first mentioned branch of said arm for engagement with said annular wall of the frame above the slot therein.

5. In a draft regulator, the combination and arrangement of parts defined by claim 1, and wherein said portion of the wall that defines the bottom of said slot and the part of the arm that engages said portion are shaped to provide laterally separated areas of contact between the arm and said portion.

6. In a draft regulator, the combination and arrangement of parts defined by claim 1, and wherein the bottom of said slot is inclined inwardly and downwardly from the ends thereof, and the underside of the arm within said niche is straight in a direction transversely of the arm thereby to provide two laterally separated points of contact between the arm and the portion of the wall that defines the bottom of the slot.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 560,264 Fowler May 18, 1896 2,194,608 Miller Mar. 26, 1940 2,268,348 Stephenson Dec. 30, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS 502,187 Germany July 9, 1930 

